Why is there sugar in my salt?

Have you ever read the ingredients of your iodized salt? The 3rd ingredient listed is “dextrose” – just another name for sugar (derived from corn). It’s really not that much (listed as 1% or less of the salt). As Morton Salt states on their website, “…the amount of dextrose in salt is so small that it is dietetically insignificant. Morton® Iodized Table Salt contains 0.04 percent dextrose or 40 milligrams per 100 grams of salt.“ But it’s still there; and depending on your health goals, it can make an unkind difference– especially if you are allergic to corn.

So, why is there sugar in iodized salt?
There is good reason for this.
One good reason is that both salt and sugar enhance flavor and make things taste better. Add a little salt to something sweet and it makes it sweeter. Add a little sugar to something salty, and it makes it taste saltier.

But the main reason “dextrose” is added to iodized salt is to stabilize the iodide. The sugar prevents the added potassium iodide from breaking down into iodine.

And the reason why sugar is added in the form of dextrose, is because dextrose comes from corn, and corn is subsidized. It’s cheaper and readily accessible.